Next time you are out for brunch, or even better, grabbing a cocktail in Venice, order a Bellini!  Originally concocted in Venice, Italy sometime between 1934 and 1948 by Giuseppe Cipriani (the founder of Harry’s Bar), the Bellini’s popularity won it a permanent place on the menu, after having been originally created as a seasonal drink.  It got its name from Giovanni Bellini, the fifteenth century Venetian painter who used a color pink that Cipriani thought was recreated in his cocktail.

Image source: Wikipedia

Among the famous customers to frequent Harry’s Bar and sip on a Bellini made by Giuseppe Cipriani, are Charlie Chaplin, Barbara Hutton, Orson Welles, Truman Capote, and of course Ernest Hemingway.  Hemingway was writing Over the River and Into the Trees while staying in Venice and mentions Harry’s Bar many times.  When told that Hemingway gave Cipriani and his bar free promotion, he responded “It was me and my bar that promoted him.  They gave him the Nobel prize afterwards, not before.”

Image source: Wikipedia

When traveling to Venice these days, you can still stop off at Harry’s Bar, order a Bellini, and imagine the days when such visionary minds of the last century frequented the tables around you.  A Bellini at Harry’s Bar goes for approximately 18 Euros, but if you are just looking to be able to say you had a Bellini in Venice, you can get a non-alcoholic version in a bottle at the train station for a mere 2 Euros.  But beware; it doesn’t have as much history packed into the taste!

If you want to bring a bit of Italy to your brunch table, try the original recipe from Harry’s Bar!

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Ready to plan a getaway to Venice?  Travel with us and explore the ins and outs of this beautiful and magical city.  Learn more about our Hidden Venice tour here.

With his book Rome:  A Cultural, Visual, and Personal History, art critic Robert Hughes shares a wide-ranging, inclusive, and deeply personal history of Rome— its life as city, heart of an empire, and, as the site of the beginnings of what we now call Western art and civilization.

Hughes begins by taking us to the Rome he first met at the tender age of twenty-one, fresh from Australia in 1959. From there, he journeys back more than two thousand years to the city’s foundation, steeped in mythology and superstition that sewed the seeds of Rome’s development.

Traveling through the centuries, Hughes investigates the modern era, from Mussolini to La Dolce Vita, to today’s age of technology and tourism.

Spend the weekend with Hughes in Rome, or journey there yourself on our tours to Italy.

This year is the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War, which began at Bull Run in Manassas, Virginia early on the morning of July 21, 1861.

The Smithsonian is honoring the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War in numerous ways, some of them listed here:

Our official Civil War 150th web experience is located here and includes several online exhibitions, educational resources, and links to podcasts, events, blogs, and more.

We’ve also honored the occasion with a special Smithsonian Book – The Civil War – A Visual History.

We’re partnering with the Chautauqua Institution to bring you a week of Civil War programming with leading Civil War scholars at the historic campus in western New York State.

On our Journey through Hallowed Ground, follow the Civil War from Charlottesville to Gettysburg with Civil War expert Study Leader A. Wilson Greene, Executive Director of the National Museum of the Civil War Solider.

Join us next June for an exclusive tour of Civil War sites here in the Washington, DC, area on War Comes to Washington – 1862, where you’ll also discover the unique role the Smithsonian played during the War.

On a lighter note, you can also click here to vote for your favorite display of Civil War facial hair and learn more about the historic contestants in our contest.

Bruce Epstein is President of Odysseys Unlimited, one of our esteemed travel partners specializing in small group travel, talks with Smithsonian Journeys staff member MaryBeth Mullen about these exciting opportunities.  We look forward to welcoming you on a Smithsonian Small Group tour in the near future.

Bruce Epstein with a Lion.

MaryBeth Mullen: How is Small Group travel different from other escorted tours?

Bruce Epstein:  The small group tours designed for Smithsonian travelers are specifically for groups of just 16 to 24 guests, which enables guests to move about more flexibly and efficiently, enjoy more spontaneous encounters, and experience a degree of freedom and independence not available to travelers on conventional group tours of 35 or 40 participants. We offer the best of both worlds: the value, ease, and comprehensive itinerary of a group tour, and the freedom, flexibility, quality, and service that independent travelers demand, and deserve.  Additionally, our small groups often have the opportunity to stay in small, unique lodgings that offer a remarkable sense of place not generally available with conventional tours.

MBM: What are some of the most popular destinations?

BE:  Smithsonian travelers have taken advantage of small group tours to virtually all corners of the globe. While some travel patterns do change over time, especially with the recent happenings in the Middle East and North Africa, some destinations continue to generate strong interest within Smithsonian’s circle of travelers.  These include France, Turkey, Spain and Portugal, Peru, China, Southern Africa, India, and Scandinavia.

MBM: On Smithsonian trips, there are a team of experts who enrich the travel experience, and a tour director that travelers depend on to handle logistics.  Is this also included on Small Group tours?

BE: Yes – on each small group tour, guests enjoy the benefits of having an expert, experienced tour director as well as a Smithsonian expert. The two work closely together to provide you with a memorable travel experience integrated with great educational elements.

MBM: On average, how many nights are travelers in a location?  Essentially, how active are these trips? 

BE: Each of our tours is custom-designed specifically for small groups, with a balanced mix of traveling, sightseeing, and cultural encounters. We make sure we set aside time for you to explore on your own or simply to relax. Guests are assured of seeing the highlights – and also the unexpected. And because we generally spend at least two nights in most places and in many cases three or four, you’ll be able to fully discover destinations, as a traveler, not a tourist.

MBM: With only 16-24 guests, do these trips tend to fill quickly? 

BE:  Since no two travelers are alike, the planning process varies among travelers.  Some plan more than a year in advance while some only a few months. However, many of Smithsonian’s small group tours do fill fairly quickly so, to have the best chance of garnering preferred travel dates, we recommend an initial reservation at least 8-10 months in advance. 

Ready to go? Click here to see all of our small group tours.

Where do you want to go next?

Our book partner, Longitude Books, is always looking for new top reads for curious traveler.

This week, they’ve recommended you try Smithsonian Natural History, The Ultimate Visual Guide to Everything on Earth.

Every kingdom of life, from bacteria, plants and animals to the minerals and rocks that make up the Earth is featured in this stunning visual survey, just the thing you need to get you ready for your next Journey out into the world.

With  more than 5,000 color images, this book, which celebrates the centennial of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.  The first chapter introduces Earth, its geology and life-forms, followed by in-depth chapters on minerals, rocks, and fossils; microscopic life; plants; fungi; and animals, each with informative descriptions and rich images. Ever wanted to know more about the Mexican red-kneed tarantula? Then this is your book.

Wew have 40 itineraries focused on teaching you more about natural history. Click here to learn more.